Mystery Circle
by PokeTail
Summary: With Zeref and his demons defeated, Fairy Tail embarks on a new adventure. A new guild under the name Mystery Circle want to claim the title as the strongest so Fairy Tail must do all they can to once again show everyone the power of their bonds. Meanwhile, a sinister band of dark guilds threatens the lives of Lost Magic users everywhere. Will Fairy Tail's Slayers survive?
1. Meteor Shower

**What's this?! Two updates in one day? Is this some sort of special** **occasion? Well, you're right. I have officially been on this site for a whole year now! How crazy is that? I've met so many awesome people and have read some of the best stories EVER! I just wanted to sat a big THANKS to everyone who has read any of my dumb fics and reviewed, favourited and followed. Extra thanks to FalynELF, AsDarknessSpreads and EternalFlame401 for being fucking awesome people! Anyways... on with the authors notes.**

 **This is my tenth fic WHOOOO! I've been working on this fic for so long now and even though the planning still isn't finished, I wanted to get this chapter out there. Also, there WILL be a lot of plot-holes in this as I started writing this fic before Tartarus had finished. I've tried to keep it as up to date as I could but it's still gonna be pretty off. This fic takes place after their battle with Zeref so WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.**

* * *

 **Mystery Circle**

By PokeTail

 ** _Chapter One - Meteor Shower_**

* * *

It was a glorious day in the town of Magnolia. It was mid-day on a Saturday which meant the streets were lined with children playing and having the time of their lives. The market was open for business and customers were partaking in pleasant conversations with the stall owners. Five figures were walking through the streets with their head held high as they were bathed in the soothing sunlight. Some of the locals would wave and commend them for a job well done as the team continued on their journey back to the place they all loved so dearly.

"Man, I'm starving!" The pink haired wizard patted his stomach, grinning.

"Me too," his feline partner agreed. "I hope Mira will cook us up something super tasty."

Fairy Tail's strongest team was returning to their guild hall after completing their job of defeating a group of bandits that were causing trouble in a vast amount of villages.

"I'm surprised we handled that job so easily," Wendy Marvel stated to the two other girls on the team. Considering they only left for the job early that same morning, Wendy was surprised that they had already returned home in such a small amount of time.

"We have all improved a great amount since the incident with Zeref," Erza Scarlet proclaimed.

It had only been a few months since Fairy Tail triumphed over Zeref and his demons, and a lot of things had changed in Magnolia. For starts, most of the town had to be re-built due to it being torn apart in the fight. Thankfully, other guilds such as Sabertooth and Lamia Scale were more than happy to help.

"Still, I can't believe how much I've improved," Lucy Heartfelia began, "I mean, I thought I'd improved quite a bit during Fairy Tail's disbandment but this is crazy. I feel like I've doubled my magic power since then!"

"I'm able to control my premonitions even more that I used to," Carla smiled. "But I still do get the occasional surprise vision."

Whilst the girls marvelled at their strength, the males of the team threw fists towards one another while at the same time screaming a list of insults.

"Glad to know nothing will ever change with those two," Erza rolled her eyes.

The girls had been extremely worried about the pair of quarrelling wizards. After they had found out Natsu was E.N.D. Gray hadn't exactly been himself. The black marks that he supposedly had control over came back and he let his anger get the better of him. Determined to kill E.N.D, a fight ensued between them. Of course, it wound up being a draw with both slayers exhausting themselves, but they finally managed to bring Gray back to his senses. After that the Fairy Tail guild went through some very dark times, however now it seemed that it was all a distant memory.

* * *

The girls carried on with their cheery conversations while Natsu and Gray continued directing punches and kicks at each other. Surrounding locals smiled at the teams' usual fanatics. Entering the Fairy Tail guild hall, the team were greeted by the always joyful bar tender.

"Welcome back guys," Mirajane Strauss chimed. "How was the job?"

"Easy, as usual. Gramps should just make me S-Class right now," Natsu roared.

"Don't hold your breath, Salamander," Makarov called from the other side of the room. He was staring at the magical archive, joined by Levy, Gajeel, Juvia, Cana and a few others.

"What seems to have everyone's attention," Erza inquired.

"A list of all the dark guilds that have popped up over the last couple of months. You'd think that after the Balam Alliance was defeated, the amount of dark guilds would decrease."

Whilst Happy chowed done on a fish, the team were enjoying a nice drink... well the girls were, Natsu was jugging down some fire whilst Gray chomped on some ice. They were soon interrupted by their beloved master.

"Natsu, Gray," he began. The two in question looked up. "Apparently, the dark guild, Bloodford, have been involved in a lot of activity shall we say."

Their eyes widened. "What?!" They cried in unison.

"Who're Bloodford?" Wendy asked, turning to the pair. "I've never heard of them."

"Yeah, neither have I," Happy added.

Mira had begun to draw Bloodford's guild emblem - a fancy looking cross - with a light pen as more and more of their guild mates gathered around.

"I didn't think we'd be hearing from them again," Cana stated.

"You don't think they'd..." Levy started before being interrupted by Black Steel Gajeel.

"Do what?"

"What is everyone talking about? Juvia is confused."

"Those bastards are no men."

"Would someone please explain what you are all talking about?" Lucy finally asked.

"Hmm, you guys won't have heard. It happened eight years ago - fifteen more like," Erza replied. "It's a long story really."

 ** _XXX_**

 _"A meteor shower?" Jet and Droy said in unison._

 _"Yep, it's supposed to be really pretty. I really want to see it," a young Levy explained._

 _"Can I come? It seems like it'd be fun," Lisanna chirped._

 _"What'll be fun?" Natsu asked growing bored of his latest brawl._

 _"A meteor shower. It's tonight!"_

 _"What is?" Gray and Cana joined the conversation._

 _Levy, once again, explained the phenomenon in more detail and were joined by the rest of the guild youngsters, all staring in awe at images Levy showed them of previous meteor showers._

 _"Huh? You kids interested in the meteor shower? Tell you what, when I get back from my job this evening. I'll take you all to see it," the kids' role model, Gildarts laughed._

 _"ALRIGHT!" The kids cheered._

* * *

 _"Where is he?" Levy wondered, getting impatient._

 _"Where's who?" Natsu and Gray both asked, throwing fists at each other._

 _"You already forgot, didn't you?" Erza groaned, pushing the two apart. "Gildarts said he'd take us all to see the meteor shower when he got home from his job."_

 _Levy sulked. She was really looking forward to the event, especially sharing it with her friends._

 _"Hey brats," Makarov called. "I've got Gildarts on the communication Lacrima for you all."_

 _Everyone then huddled around the Lacrima, eager to find out when their idol will show up._

 _"Hey everyone. Listen, I've been having a few problems on the job and won't be able to make it back in time for the meteor shower. Sorry guys, gotta dash," and with that Gildarts hung up._

 _Tears started for form in Levy's eyes as Jet and Droy tried their best to comfort her._

 _"I was really looking forward to seeing it too," Lisanna sighed._

 _It then dawned upon Natsu. "Why can't we go and see it without Gildarts?" He looked over to the master._

 _"I would be more at ease if there were an adult with you to keep an eye on you all," Makarov replied taking a sip from his drink._

 _"But we go out on jobs alone all the time," Gray added._

 _After mulling it over, and having many of his children give him puppy-dog-eyes, Makarov finally decided to let his children go out and see the event. What could go wrong? Magnolia was as safe as they come._

* * *

 _"I CAN'T WAIT!" Levy cried jumping up and down, which was unusual for the shy wizard._

 _Each of them had brought a bag packed with: a sleeping bag, a canteen and some scraps of food to keep their hunger to a minimum._

 _"What's the big deal about a couple of rocks?" Mira questioned, still wondering why she'd decided to tag along._

 _"Nee-san, please just try to enjoy it," Elfman smiled to his older sister who tutted upon hearing this._

 _"You should listen to your brother, Mira. This could be a good experience for us all," Erza glanced towards her rival._

 _"There you go again, turning everything into one of your school classes," Mira growled as the two were about to throw down._

 _"And she says 'we shouldn't fight'," Natsu rolled his eyes._

 _"That's Erza for you," Gray replied._

 _"What was that?"_

 _"Nothing," both boys froze panicking._

* * *

 _After they had made it to an opening, everything began to go wrong. Erza and Mira had continued arguing, which in turn made Natsu and Gray begin to fight without Erza realising. Levy had placed her sleeping bag next to Cana so Jet and Droy were arguing over who got to sit next to Levy, which left Lisanna and Elfman trying to pry their older sister off of Erza._

 _"Maybe we should have come with an adult?" Levy realised, considering what her friends were usually like, she should have seen all of this coming._

 _"They're bound to run out of energy sooner or later," Cana reassured. "Gray, your clothes!"_

 _"GAH! How long have I been like this?"_

 _Natsu laughed at his rival before the fight continued._

 _Their entire camp was filled with arguments and fights. Levy looked over to each individual quarrel and frowned. "This was supposed to be fun," she muttered to herself. She reached into her pocket and grabbed her watch; it was almost midnight, the meteor shower was about to start. Taking another look at her friends, she realised it was futile to try to get their attention. She took a seat on her sleeping bag and swigged down her drink. Looking up at the sky she noticed a tiny ball of light pierce through the darkness. Levy's eyes suddenly lit up. "Everyone look!" And at that moment: Jet and Droy stopped arguing, Natsu and Gray stopped fighting, Erza and Mira too. Everyone looked up to the sky just in time to see hundreds - if not thousands - of white lights speeding across the night sky. Everyone huddled together to enjoy the spectacle, gawking_ _at the incredible event they were experiencing together. The children smiled to one another, each realising how fortunate they were to have met each other. Even though most of their lives had already gone to hell, things were starting to look up for the next generation of wizards._

* * *

 _The meteor shower was over - what felt like to the children - as soon as it had started. Each of them were zonked out and having pleasant dreams. The moon was about to say its farewells as it left the morning sun to watch over the young'uns. Everything was quiet until..._

 _"What was that?" Natsu whispered to himself in order not to wake the others. He could have sworn he heard branches snapping from the distance. He listened a little while longer until he could hear very faint footsteps gradually getting louder. With a determined expression on his face, Natsu wriggled out of his sleeping bag and began tip-toeing towards the sound._

 _"Where the hell are you going?" A voice whispered to him._

 _"What's it to you?" Natsu knew exactly who he had been caught by._

 _"Nothing, just remember that if a certain red-head wakes up to find you missing, there'll be hell to pay," Gray smirked._

 _"I'm just going to check out a noise I heard, alright?"_

 _"Well, I'm up now, I might as well join you."_

 _"Like hell you are."_

 _"Fine then. I'll just tell Erza that you ran off into the Vulcan infested forest alone."_

 _Natsu gritted his teeth. "Fine."_

 _The two boys crept through the forest, not daring to make a sound until they were a distance away from the camp._

 _"Oi, which way did you say they were coming from?" Gray whispered glancing around at the densely wooded area._

 _"This way, I'm sure," Natsu answered._

 _The boys kept walking until they came to a small clearing in the sea of green. At this point they could both hear footsteps. Natsu's fist lit up with a crimson flame whilst Gray created a frozen sword. Keeping their eyes on every corner of the forest, they got into their battle stances._

 _"My, my. I didn't expect my target to simply show his face to me. Kept my mission simple," a voice from the tree tops chuckled._

 _This man, who looked to be in his late teens, wore no shirt with black harem pants and geta sandals. His messy dark green hair almost reached to his shoulders and a sadistic look took over his face. Natsu growled and began to charge at the man, but was soon stopped in his tracks when he took a quick look at the floor._

 _"What the hell is this?!" he cried, no longer caring if his guild mates were to wake up._

 _"A magic circle?" Gray murmured._

 _"Spot on kiddo. You're a smart one aren't ya?" the man turned to Gray, a smug look on his face. He then snapped his fingers which in turn sent a jolt of pain through the two boys._

 _"ARG!" they both screamed, no longer having control over their body's as they twitched in pain._

 _Suddenly, the flames surrounding Natsu's fist diminished, eventually disappearing and Gray's ice sword shattered. When the pain ceased, the two were forced to their knees, gasping for breath._

 _"What the hell? I can't gather up any strength," Natsu panicked._

 _"You think it's because of that bastard's magic?" Gray questioned struggling to his feet._

 _"Wow, you're really coming up with all the answers today, ice wizard. However, you're irrelevant to my task. I can't have you getting in my way, can I?" the man glared toward Gray._

 _The next this they knew, that man, who was seemingly of an average build, cast a magic circle around himself and his muscles started to grow an incredible amount. Walking over to the boys, he pulled his arm back and sent a punch directly towards Gray. Not having any time to react, the raven-haired boy was forced back through the forest and collided with the trees. The sheer force of the attack had not only knocked him out, but also sent some trees crashing to the ground._

 _"Gray!" Natsu yelled, turning back to the man._

 _"Now for your turn, Salamander."_

* * *

 _Many of the guild members liked to be up early to snatch the best jobs before the rest got out of bed, so Makarov had to be up at the crack of dawn to open the guild doors. Fortunately for the youngsters, Makarov could hear occasional 'bang' noises coming from the forest his children were camping in. At first he thought it would be those two idiots in an early fighting session before breakfast, but even he knew that those two couldn't cause damage to that extent. Something was wrong. Makarov decided to save opening the guild doors for later as he began to make a mad dash for the forest._

 _After a lot of running, and the occasional trip over a branch, Makarov wasn't far from his children's location and now he was positive something was wrong. He could sense an evil magic threatening the youngsters and his was NOT happy about it. And his anger definitely erupted when he saw the state of two of his own. Gray was slumped across the floor, buried in a pile of broken trees, dried blood and cuts covering his body. Natsu was being held at the head by the strange man that had attacked them. His arm was heavily muscled and much larger than the rest of his body. Slowly forcing his eyes open, Natsu glanced over towards Makarov._

 _"G-Gramps," Natsu stuttered before falling unconscious._

 _"What fool do you think you are attacking my children?" Makarov asked, an aggressive demeanour surrounded him._

 _The man slightly hesitated before replying. "Didn't expect a visit from the master so early in the morning."_

 _"Be gone from my sight!" He cried sending a rain of light towards the man._

 _Throwing the pink-haired boy to the ground, the man did his best to dodge the shower of light, one of which managed to scuff his right shoulder, revealing his guild mark. Dust started to rise over the battle field so the man took this opportunity to escape and live another day. When the dust cleared, Makarov gritted his teeth when he realised he'd let the enemy escape, but slight relief flew over him when he noticed both boys still remained lying on the ground._

 _"Master, what happened?" Erza questioned, running over to a fallen Natsu. She hadn't even noticed Gray unconscious a distance away._

 _"I'm not sure myself, where are the others?"_

 _"Mira took them the long way out of the forest, she said she'd take them all back to the guild."_

 _"At least they're all safe. Would you mind carrying Natsu back to the guild?"_

 _"Not at all," Erza slung Natsu onto her back as Makarov used his Titan magic to pull the trees off of Gray's limp body._

 _"Dammit," the man whispered, watching the Fairy Tail wizards return to their base of operations. "This is not over, of that, I am certain." He disappeared into the shadows._

* * *

 _"They have multiple broken bones," Porlyusica explained to the master and red-head._

 _"Natsu, Gray," Erza muttered, overwhelming concern was shown in her voice._

 _"Don't worry Erza, I'm sure they'll pull through. Go and tell the others what happened." and with that, Erza obeyed the words of her master and left the room._

 _"Do you have any idea who did this?" the healer asked._

 _"I managed to get a glimpse at his guild mark, Bloodford."_

 _"They haven't been active for ages now. I wonder what changed."_

 _ **XXX**_

"We never found out why they attacked. All we know is that they were after Natsu for some unexplained reason," Erza finished her story.

Natsu and Gray both snarled at the memory of being beaten so easily.

"Hah, you two are so pathetic," Gajeel mocked, which earned him a punch from both boys.

"Still, I'm not surprised you two didn't try to go after them," Lucy mentioned.

"Trust us we tried," Gray folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Gramps and Erza managed to catch us each time. It didn't help they we had no idea where we were going. And we both got on each other nerves way too much."

"That sounds more like you two," Happy smiled.

"But it was a good meteor shower," Cana joked, which earned her a glare from Natsu and Gray but a chuckle from everyone else.

 _ **XXX**_

In the far corners of Fiore, in a castle-like building. Five figures walked down the darkness filled hallway.

"Has it really been fifteen years since then?" one figure asked.

"You mean since your royal fuck up?" another mocked, grinning.

"I'd think twice before saying that to me. I've since learned from my mistake and I'm now the strongest member of our guild."

"Calm down you two," yet another figure said, a blank expression on her face.

"Listen to her. We can't have either of you wrecking our mission," this figure fashioned the same blank expression as the previous one.

"Urg! You're all so annoying!" a particularly short figure moaned. "Let's just get on with this stupid mission already!"

The figures continued walking towards their meeting point.

* * *

 _ **To be continued in chapter two - Hiding for Far Too Long**_

* * *

 **YEAH! First chapter done! Also if anyone read Fairy Who, the ending to that was kinda foreshadowing to this fic so... yeah.**

 **This fic won't be updated for a looooooooooong time as I still haven't finished planning for future chapters. If anyone wants to give me a hand that would be great. All I need is an idea for an event in the Grand Magic Games (not something they used in FT) I have six so far out of the seven I require for this fic. If you're wondering why there are so many I extended the number of days the GMG takes place to better fit this story. Once I have the final event, I'll be able to finish all the planning and be able to work on the chapters. And I definitely won't be updating this until Return of The Calamity is over either so please be patient with me guys.**

 **Don't forget to follow this story so you know when I finally decide to update and feel free to leave a review. If you wanna help with this fic you can PM me. :)**

 **Laters!**


	2. Hiding for Far Too Long

**Here it is folks, chapter two is finally upon us. Now before I begin I just wanna thank: Gemmery, Daygon Yuuki, Blade1hunter and Yuki Loxar for your OC inputs and just general help with this fic. Sorry if I missed anyone out. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: The only thing I own is most of the OC's.**

* * *

 **Mystery Circle**

By PokeTail

 ** _Chapter Two - Hiding for Far Too Long_**

* * *

The group walked through the double doors, towards a particularly muscular man sat on a throne. His face and most of his features were hidden from their view as the darkness seemed to surround him.

"Just to remind me," his deep voice boomed. "You are the strongest team of your guild, am I correct?"

"Yes, that is correct," one of the members replied.

"I'll need to make sure you five can handle such a task. Therefore, I'll need to learn more about you."

At this, the smallest member jumped up and made her way to the front of the group. "I am Lexine Di Antonio," the girl proclaimed, flicking one of her long, light blue pigtails. She was wearing a sleeveless blouse with a light blue, plaid tie. She had a matching skirt with long white socks and brown leather shoes. Lexine's guild mark was on display for all to see on her left hand in a light blue colour to match her outfit and hair. "I use Puppet Magic." Suddenly, a brown magic circle appeared, and out of it came four scarecrow-like puppets. They had long arms and even longer (and sharper) fingernails. They seemed to be able to twist their heads in all angles and wore a constant evil grin on their face.

"I can basically create as many of these things as I want and they will obey my every command."

"I see, very impressive."

"This is Arata Tsuyomi," she gestured towards the male. This one had short black hair with piercing red eyes. He wore a red top that was mostly covered by his jet black jumper. His pure black trousers made his maroon shoes stand out and he fashioned a blank expression which made it harder to read his personality. "He uses Arrow Magic. Arata can create an infinite amount of arrows from his quiver and those arrows can have all different kinds of abilities. He has: Fire Arrows, Ice Arrows, Poison Arrows, Lightning Arrows and loads of others. His twin sister, Sharmilia, uses the same magic." She motioned to the girl next to Arata. Sharmilia had long black hair with the same piercing eyes as her brother. She wore a grey vest top with a blood red crop top. She had a raven black mini-skirt with matching knee-high boots. Sharmilia also had the same blank expression covering her pale face.

"Fascinating."

"Next up we have Pippin Ronchin, but everyone calls him _Ron_." Lexine pointed over to the eighteen year old. Pippin, or Ron as he preferred, had light brown hair that was spiked up above his head; an orange and white zig-zagged headband held his fringe out of his eyes. The boy wore a white tee-shirt with a dark green, short-sleeved, denim jacket over the top. He had matching jeans along with black converse. Ron's guild mark was barely visible, with the bottom of the green cross pointing out of his sleeve. "He uses Speed Magic. He can alter the speed of the people around him and his own speed to help him in battle."

"Alright..."

"And last but certainly not the least, we have Jarrod Betrand." Lexine glanced over to the tall man at the end of the group. This man had no shirt but wore a yellow waist coat that looked like it had seen better days. He had black harem pants with geta sandals. His guild mark was located on his right shoulder and was as black as he deep eyes. Jarrod's hair was dark green that finished just below his shoulders, tied in a low pony tail. "He uses Muscle Magic. In battle, he saps the strength of his opponents and in turn, it strengthens himself. He can make his body more muscular pretty much whenever he wants. He's out guild strongest, an SS-Class wizard."

"Yes, quite," the figure, shrouded in darkness responded as if he recognised the man. "I should expect great things from your team then."

 ** _XXX_**

The following day, a meeting had been called for the Ten Wizard Saints to discuss the recent matters regarding any currently active dark guilds. This meant that Makarov was required to join them in the matter. The topic of Bloodford had come up in their conversation and Makarov did his best to make a replica of their guild mark with a light pen.

"Bloodford?!" Hyberion questioned. "That guild hasn't been active for around fifteen years now. What would they possibly be plotting?"

"Looks like your guild might be in for it," Wolfheim pointed out.

"Are you not worried that your guild could fall victim to another one of their attacks, Makarov-dono?" Jura wondered.

"Of course I'm worried. I never learned of the answer as to why they attacked my brats the first time... And now that those two idiots know Bloodford is active again, it's only a matter of time before they set out for revenge."

"Are you talking about Natsu-kun and Gray-kun?" another Saint smiled. "Those boys have matured a lot since then, not to mention their physical strength has improved tenfold. I'm sure those boys will make a sensible decision."

"Really? Those freaks can't even be considered _human_ anymore," someone else snarled.

"Either way, those two are exceptionally strong wizards and could easily be considered Wizard Saints if it weren't for their... immaturity," Warrod responded, being serious for once.

"You're thinking too lowly of my boys," Makarov grinned. "When necessary, those two will get serious; not to mention their team work is second to none. You remember the fight against Tartarus. Those two teamed up and took down the head of the operation without a second thought. I know they both went through some rough times a few months back, but they've both changed for the better."

"Heh, if you'd have told me nine years ago that we would one day be speaking so fondly of those brats I would have laughed in your face," Wolfheim chuckled.

"Anyways... There are much more important matter to discuss people," Hyberion reminded. "We should send a high alert to all official guilds about Bloodford. That guild was very notorious back in the day and their strength could have greatly improved since then. We don't have enough information to take action against this dark guild and our top priority is keeping the citizens of Fiore safe from harm's way. Are we all in agreement?"

"Definitely."

"Sounds good to me."

"Yes."

 ** _XXX_**

After the meeting, Makarov decided it was in his best interest to visit an old friend of his at the famous 8 Island Restaurant. As per usual, the place was abuzz with customers. Thankfully, the owner requested some assistance from guild wizards for the day which gave him more time to talk with his old chum.

"Bloodford, huh?" Yajima pondered. "Been a while since I heard that name."

"Aye. I'm worried about my brats," Makarov admitted. "I should trust them to stay safe... And they're all more than capable of taking care of themselves, but I just can't shake off this feeling of dread."

"It's natural for a parent to be worried for his children Mabo. You have every right to be concerned for them after the things you've all experienced together. Maybe you'll even find out the answer as to why they attacked Natsu-kun and Gray-kun."

"All we know is that they wanted Natsu for something. At first I figured it was just because of his rare dragon slayer magic, but there must be some deeper meaning behind it, right?"

"Only time will tell, Mabo. And you needn't worry, I've seen your brats get stronger and stronger over the years. They've faced every problem that comes there way and have always come out on top. Your wizards will be fine."

"I'm sure you're right," Makarov smiled.

 ** _XXX_**

It was another superb day in Magnolia and Fairy Tail was already crowded with people drinking, fighting and generally having a good time. Erza, Gray, Lucy, Wendy and Carla were all sat together, waiting calmly for the flaming dragon and his Exceed companion. As usual the pair had overslept, causing their team mates to grow impatient.

"Where the hell is that Flame Bastard?" Gray growled through gritted teeth.

"Calm down, Gray. He'll be here soon," Lucy rolled her eyes. "Jeez are all demons this impatient?"

"Shut up," Gray folded his arms and looked away.

The team continued their light-hearted conversation until two figures burst through the guild doors and ran (or flew) towards them.

"Sorry we're late guys," Natsu grinned. "Happy overslept."

"I did not!" The feline yelled. "It was Natsu!"

"Either way you're here now so let's get down to business," Erza instructed.

"So what job d'ya pick this time?"

"The western parts of Fiore have recently been hit by some bad storms, causing a lot of property damage. We will be aiding a family that lives on a ranch to repair their barn et cetera. Sound good?"

"Are you really asking this team to do repair work?" Carla questioned. "We're not exactly known for our building skills."

"Carla..." Wendy muttered.

"I've got to agree with Carla on this one," Lucy added. "No offence but you two aren't exactly the best choice for this job." She looked over at the guys.

"Hey, we've gotten better!" Natsu protested.

"We're not kids anymore. We can handle this," Gray groaned.

"You say that now..." Happy chuckled, only to receive glares from the two in question.

"Well then, why don't you show us how mature you two have become by successfully completing this job without making things worse? I'll treat you to a nice meal when we're done if you manage to keep your promise," Erza gave them a smug smile.

"You're on Erza!" Both boys roared, clenching their fists.

"Very well then. Let's depart."

 ** _XXX_**

"If I may be so bold, but we were informed we'd be meeting with our colleagues from other guilds today, when might that be happening?" Jarrod inquired.

"Do not get ahead of yourself," the man on the throne snarled. "First, I must see if you are up to such a task."

"Whatever you wish of us sir, we guarantee you success," Arata replied.

"Yes well, I'm afraid that even though we did extensive research on our targets fifteen years ago - as you are aware Betrand - we are still lacking some crucial information. I want, no, I need you to travel through Fiore and observe our targets. Use any means necessary. If you are to engage in combat with the targets, I simply want you to observe their power levels and nothing more. Use magic as a last resort and whatever you do, do NOT win a fight against them. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes sir!" They all answered, smirking to each other.

 ** _XXX_**

Erza had finally emerged from the Fairy Hills building with all that she deemed necessary to bring on the job – of which most things were completely useless. The team made their way through their home town Magnolia, watching Natsu and Gray send punches each other's way. The girls decided to start their own conversation to distract themselves from the oncoming flow of insults.

"I didn't see Master around the guild today," Wendy began.

"Yeah, I heard that there was some sort of meeting between the Ten Wizard Saints, but Master never said what it was about," Lucy mentioned, a puzzling look on her face.

"I believe it was to discuss the recent activity of dark guilds and what should be done about them if needs be," Erza explained, her signature serious features present.

"You don't think it all has something to do with that dark guild, Bloodford, you mentioned earlier?" Carla questioned.

"It's highly probable."

"Master's really worried about those two, isn't he," Happy glanced over to the boys who had apparently been listening in on their conversation.

"There's nothing to be worried about," Natsu flung his arms behind his head.

"If those bastards show their faces around here again, they'll get what's coming to 'em," Gray smirked.

"That's what he's worried about, idiots!" Erza sent a stern look their way. "He doesn't want you fools doing anything that could put you or the rest of the guild in danger."

"Alright, alright. We'll be on our best behaviour," Natsu sighed, sarcastically before punching Gray in the shoulder as they resumed their brawl.

 ** _XXX_**

The man shrouded in darkness had finally finished giving the orders to his latest recruits. Bloodford's strongest team had been equipped with a dark cloak in order to hide their faces from their enemies and more importantly, their targets. As they rose from their kneeling position, their new master addressed his subordinates for the last time.

"The time for action is now," he bellowed. "After many years we can finally put this plan into effect. Those pathetic souls won't know what hit them when they realise our true strength. Now move out!"

"Roger!" The team roared as they ran out of the man's chambers.

"We have been hiding for far too long."

* * *

 _ **To be continued in chapter three- The Calm before the Storm**_

* * *

 **Finally, after almost two months I've updated this... Please don't kill me.**

 **So, I might have said this before but if I haven't, this fic is gonna be updated in sections. There will be updates weekly until section one is over. Then I will be getting to work writing section two and once that is complete, I will upload them. Of course, I'm also writing other fics at the same time so don't be surprised if there are very long gaps in between updates.**

 **Things are still pretty slow at the moment but they will pick up eventually. Just bare with me guys.**

 **I hope you enjoyed, See you next Monday! ;)**


	3. The Calm before the Storm

**First of all, I'm sorry this is a day late (better late that never,right?) but I have decided to change my upload date to Tuseday's as it's much easier this way. Anyways, on with the chapter. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I wish...**

* * *

 **Mystery Circle**

By PokeTail

 ** _Chapter Three - The Calm before the Storm_**

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Natsu's shaky voice asked, ready to throw up.

"Yes Natsu, we're here," Happy replied, bluntly.

With that, Natsu broke out of whatever trance he was in, shoved past his team - and every other passenger - and leaped out of the train. "Solid ground, I missed you!" He cried.

That left the rest of the team to unload all of their - mainly Erza's - luggage and ended up being the last ones to leave the train.

"Jeez guys, what took you so long?" Natsu smiled.

"Really Flamebrain?" the raven glared daggers towards his rival only to be punched lightly on the shoulder by Erza.

The team exited the station and made it out of the town. Thankfully, they didn't have to walk too far as the ranch wasn't that far away from their current location.

"Erza," the celestial wizard began. "Could you give us some more details on the job?"

"There's not much to tell other than the ranch we're headed to is called Prairie Range. We will be aiding the Kobayashi family as their ranch was destroyed thanks for some terrible storms that have been hitting the western parts of the country. In fact, you can see the ranch now." Erza pointed off into the distance as the Prairie Ranch had just come into view.

"...or what's left of it," Natsu muttered to Gray who nodded his head in agreement.

The barn was lacking most of its structure; the entire left wall was completely gone. There were sharp chunks of glass darted over the floor as multiple windows had been smashed and destroyed. The roof - if you could even call it that - was littered with massive holes that could easily fit boulders through. One of the doors was partially off its hinges and the other was smack down on the grass, which was another thing the ranch was lacking. The earth had practically been turned upside down, with the odd, miniature patch of grass plotted here and there. Any crops that had once been growing had since been tossed aside into an old wheelbarrow to be disposed of as none looked even remotely edible. Animal huts and pens looked as if they had been tossed around the entire ranch and speaking of animals, there were none.

"Woah," Gray marvelled as the team approached the ranch. "Looks like a tornado came through here."

"And that's exactly what happened, sir," a voice behind them responded. They all whipped their heads to see a girl, no older than Lucy, smiling towards them. She wore a red short sleeved top with denim dungarees that capped off above her knee. Her long boots looked like they had seen better days as they were covered in dirt and grime. Her messy brunette hair was kept back with a red bandana and she carried a bucket in her hand. "You must be the Fairy Tail wizards who accepted my pops request."

"That's us," Wendy returned her smile.

"Pops is over by the barn, he wants to speak with you before y'all start workin'." She led the group down the path (or what was left of it) to greet the brunette's father. The man in question was far too focused to notice their presence as he was hacking away at the old, broken wood in order to replace the wall. He looked to be in his early forties and was heavily built. The man was lacking a shirt, making his abs visible for all to see and his baggy denim jeans were ripped at the knees. "Pops, the wizards you asked for are here."

"Oh, you fellas must be those Fairy Tail wizards, eh," he gave them all a toothy grin. "I'm Haruto Kobayashi. I see you met my daughter, Hinata." At this moment, the rest of the Kobayashi family gathered.

"Pops, we finished clearin' out the rotten veg," a boy, who looked remarkably similar to Hinata, smirked.

"Are you the Fairy Tail wizards here to help us?" A cheery looking woman added.

"This here's my twin brother, Naoki and our mama," Hinata mentioned.

"Just called me, Akemi."

"Anywho," Haruto continued. "Akemi and Hina could use a hand mendin' fences for the animals so could you three girls help 'em with that?"

"Certainly, sir," Lucy chimed in as they set off towards the fields.

"An' you boys can help us finish fixin' this ol' barn."

"Got it!" Natsu replied.

* * *

The Fairy Girls were directed into a huge open space. Piles of wooden posts were scattered around the field along with unfinished enclosures indicating where the animals were supposed to stay. The group of five made their way over to the biggest pile of wood and got to work.

"So if you don't mind me asking," Wendy began. "But where are all the animals?"

Akemi spoke up. "When we heard that a storm was headin' our way, we evacuated our animals to a safer part of the country."

"Yet you all decided to stay here?" Carla questioned.

"We couldn't bring ourselves to abandon our home," Hinata responded.

The girls set to work. Lucy, Wendy and Carla started hammering in fence posts around the perimeter of rope the family had set out beforehand whilst Akemi, Hinata and Erza raked any loose strands of grass to even out the field. The girls partook in pleasant conversation as they worked, cracking an odd joke every now and then. Erza was far too focused in her work that she'd almost forgotten about the two males on the team who were supposedly assisting on repairing the barn. She glanced over to see her team mates hammering away at wood planks in order to fix the gaping hole in the wall. They hadn't seemed to get into one of their signature arguments yet and the structure definitely looked in better condition than it had before. The scarlet haired woman chuckled to herself before continuing her work.

* * *

The two rivals and their feline companion were at competition with each other as per usual. They had turned their simple repair mission into a 'who can fix the most' competition and like any other, the pair were neck and neck. Haruto and Naoki were amazed at the amount of effort the slayers were putting into the task, especially after learning of their so called path of destruction. At any rate, the two actually worked extremely well together. The hole in the barn wall was almost non-existent as the Kobayashi began painting the newly replaced wall a dazzling shade of red.

"So what's it like in 'yer guild?" Naoki smiled towards the two fairies.

"Uhh, you know… It's kinda like your typical bar," Natsu joked halting his work.

"Yep," Gray added. "A bunch of drunk morons picking fights every minute of the day." He rolled his eyes, chuckling slightly.

"Y'all got yerselves a strong bunch of wizard's over there, eh?" Haruto took a step back, marvelling at his work.

"Yeah, everybody's pretty scary in their own way," Happy laughed, flying above the males' heads.

"We've heard a fair share of stories 'bout you boys. Other folk have been comparin' you to those dragon boys from that ol' Sabertooth guild. Callin' you the Twin Demons of Fairy Tail or summit."

Both boy's blushed slightly and turned away in embarrassment. "Well I… wouldn't exactly call us that…" Gray mumbled, hiding his eyes with his raven bangs.

"Yeah… it's not like we're partners or anything, we're just on the same team…" Natsu laughed, awkwardly.

"Really? 'Coz we heard 'bout your fight against that Ankhseram. Quite the compatible duo if you ask me."

"You fella's S-Class yet?" Naoki asked, eyes beaming with excitement.

"Nah, not yet. The last time we had S-Class trials, the test was interrupted by a dark guild." Natsu cackled.

"Yeah, and then a dragon showed up and forced us into seven years of sleep…" Gray reminded.

"At least there doesn't seem to be a borin' day at the guild," Haruto gave a heartily laugh.

"You're not wrong there!" Happy replied, grinning.

 _ **XXX**_

"C'MON!" A voiced bellowed through the forest. "We've been walking for ages now! Do we even know who we're looking for?"

"Patience Lexine," Arata reminded. "Our location will be discovered if you continue to raise your voice."

"Our targets will show themselves when the time comes," Sharmilia added.

"So, we're just looking for the pink-haired freak and the little girl, right?" Ron asked with a maniacal smirk.

"Actually there is another target," Jarrod explained. "Almost two years ago, Fairy Tail acquired a Devil Slayer."

"A DEVIL SLAYER?!" The young blunette cried. "Those things are almost unheard of!"

"Lexine, keep your voice down," Arata warned. "And remember that when we do encounter our targets, our master advised us against battling them. If we have no choice, we are not to win at all costs. We are merely here to observe and report, nothing else."

"Aww, don't be such a stick it the mud, Ratty," Lexine moped, earning a glare from the older wizard. "I just can't wait to see Lost Magic up close. Do you think we'll see them use their slayer magic?"

"As long as those two girlies don't interfere, I don't see why not," Ron pumped his fist in the air.

"Titania and the Celestial Wizard could cause an issue when observing the Sky Dragon, however, the nature of the two male slayers means that our chances of witnessing their magic is very high."

"Why can't we just take them back to master now?" Lexine hopped around the group, giggling at her idea. "Just think about how much he'd praise us."

"That's a terrible idea," Sharmilia replied, bluntly. "I'm sure master has come up with a highly complicated plan that doesn't involve his members disobeying his orders. Like Nii-san said, we are here to observe… And put you hood up. We're supposed to be under cover."

"But it's so tacky…" the girl moaned as the group continued down their path.

 ** _XXX_**

After the majority of the day had passed, the ranch had been completely transformed. The barn was clear of any holes or broken planks and was now freshly painted with brand new windows and everything! The girls had finished building animal pens and the entire team had pitched in with raking out the dead grassy plains, replacing them with freshly cut fields of green. The Kobayashi family had insisted on treating the fairies to a well-deserved meal as a thanks for their aid – not to mention they were still being paid their substantial reward. Natsu was stuffing anything and everything into his mouth while his team mates watched him in disgust. Cheery conversation was passed between everyone in the group.

"Ya know, it was a real shame that none of those tough guilds took part in them games last year," Haruto sighed, swigging down his sake.

"You guys planning to take part this year?" Akemi wondered, smiling towards the red-head.

"It would be great to partake in this year's Grand Magic Games. It's been far too long since we've seen our comrades from the other guilds, but whether we enter depends on our master's decision," Erza responded, taking a sip of her beverage.

"Of course Gramps is gonna want us in the games!" Natsu proclaimed, his mouth still half full of food. "Gramps loves a good fight and we've gotta prove ourselves the strongest!"

"We went to see the games last year," Naoki mentioned. "Definitely wasn't as eventful as X791. That was great."

"If only you knew," Gray muttered to himself, unnoticed by the others.

"Well, we'll try and make this year's games even better!" Lucy clenched her fists in determination.

"Lucy-san, the games are still a few months away," Wendy giggled.

"It's never too late to begin training," Happy informed, nodding.

"Just as long as we don't have a repeat of last time," Carla rolled her eyes.

* * *

The team departed from Prairie Range later that evening with satisfied stomachs. The majority of the group were completely worn out from their day of repair work; everyone one of them just as surprised that they got through the job without any complications. It was a miracle.

"I have to hand it to you boys," Erza began, gaining the attention of her fellow team mates. "I honestly didn't think you'd be able to complete this job without any issues. Looks like you really have matured."

"Jeez, Erza. You really need to have more faith in us, we're big boys now," Natsu grinned, fist bumping with Gray.

Suddenly, both male forms went stiff. Both wizard's hearing a particular voice that causes their blood to boil.

"Natsu, Gray, what's wrong?" Lucy chimed, her concern rising slightly.

Both boy's remained silent, looks of pure anger and hatred spread over their features. Wendy closed her eyes and focused on her other senses. "There are people coming."

"What?" Titania questioned, raising an eye brow.

"And I'll take it from their expressions that it's not anyone good," Carla voiced.

In the distance, appearing out of the darkness, a heavily built man strode down the dirt path. The man in question wore no shirt but his chest was partly covered by his loosely hanging, yellow waist coat. He wore jet black harem that cut off a little before his ankles and brown Geta sandals. The cloak he had been ordered to wear had since been thrown to the ground. The man's dark green hair had been tied back in a small ponytail and his guild mark was visible for all to see on his right shoulder in a deathly black colour. A guild mark the boy's knew all too well.

"Salamander, Ice Wizard, it's been far too long," Jarrod Betrand, Bloodford's ace smiled, menacingly.

"Bloodford," the wizards in question growled, getting into their battle stances.

"And you yelled at me for taking my hood off," a young girl moaned, face hidden by her grey cloak.

"He's ruined the mission," another voice whispered, barely audible.

The rest of Jarrod's team approached the group of fairies and simply stood and watched their comrade taunt the group.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy this!" Jarrod cracked his muscles, as magic pressure built up in the abandoned forest.

* * *

 ** _To be continued in chapter four – A Foreboding Battle_**

* * *

 **Character Profile - Bloodford**

Name: Pippin Ronchin (prefers Ron)

Age: 18

Magic: Speed Magic

Likes: Competitions

Dislikes: Losing

Description: This sporty young wizard is the life and soul of his guild. He makes his presence known with his boastful attitude and feisty spirit. His determination rises above all else as he always sets out to win. Ron tends to be reckless from time to time and often jumps into fights without thinking. He is team mates with Arata.

* * *

 **Dun, dun, dunnnnnnnnnn! Horray for cliffies, a writers best friend yet a readers worst enemy! Do you guys like the character profile thing at the end? I plan to do that with all of my OC's in this fic so let me know if you wanna see more of it.**

 **As always remember to follow, favourite, review et cetera.**

 **And with that, I'm off to play Xenoblade X.**

 **Adios! ;)**


	4. A Foreboding Battle

**So sorry I'm late. I was gonna upload this much sooner but then the College Christmas Production got in the way. And to top it all off, I tripped over the amp in front of EVERYONE! It was really funny to be honest... but any ways, on with the fic!**

 **Things are finally starting to pick up with this fic, but we're only scratching the surface right now. Things are going to get a lot crazier... Just as soon as I can get out of a writers block. :/**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own.**

* * *

 **Mystery Circle**

By PokeTail

 _ **Chapter Four - A Foreboding Battle**_

* * *

Jarrod smiled menacingly as his male opponents sent him glares of disgust. His fellow companions stood behind his, rolling their eyes at the green-haired man's stupidity.

"Just let him have his fun," Arata whispered to the group. "If things get too out of hand we'll pull him away from the fight. Do not forget the main objective of our mission."

"Oh sure let Jarrod have all the fun…" the blunette pouted, folding her arms.

Fairy Tail's demonic duo were about to leap into action when they abruptly came to a halt when a sharp blade was blocking their advance.

"Erza, what the hell?!" Natsu roared as Gray gritted his teeth in anger.

The scarlet-haired woman purely ignored her comrade's comment and went on to question their enemy. "What are you after?"

"My, my, you sure get right to the point don't you Titania," the muscular male proclaimed. "I'm simply looking for a good fight, and after hearing that my two favourite wizards were in the area, I thought I would pay a little visit for old time's sake."

It was at this point that the boy's had had enough. Pushing Erza's sword aside, they both charged. Natsu ignited his fists while Gray got into his usual stance.

"Karyū no Tekken!" Natsu yelled, throwing is fist towards his opponent. The attack was easily blocked as Jarrod increased the size of his muscles and caught Natsu's flaming fist.

Gray noticed the elder man had left himself open, and went in for an attack of his own. "Hyōma Zero no Tachi!" He yelled, striking his sword down behind the enemy. What Gray wasn't expecting was the oversized leg to make impact with his chest, pushing him back a few paces.

A particularly pissed off Erza then decided that enough was enough and joined in the fray. "Reqiup: Purgatory Armour!" She cried out as her outfit transformed into her spiked armour with a heavy sword appearing in her right hand. Charging for her foe, the scarlet-haired wizard struck her blade down on his arm to release Natsu from his grasp. The three wizards continued to attack Jarrod. A punch here, a kick there, yet their attacks seemed to be doing next to no damage at all. Lucy and co watched the fight from a distance, almost an exact copy of the members of Bloodford, who seemed to be bothered about their comrade fighting the fairies.

"You can do it Natsu!" Happy called, pumping his fists in the air.

"This isn't just another silly guild brawl, you know," Carla rolled her eyes at her fellow Exceed.

"Lucy-san, do you think that this is the man who fought Natsu-san and Gray-san when they were young?" Wendy pondered.

"It wouldn't surprise me," Lucy sighed. "Anyway, we should help them. Open: Gate of-" Lucy was brought to an immediate halt when she noticed a magic circle surrounding the two girls and Exceeds. The only thing she felt after that was pain. It felt as if she had been attacked by one of Laxus' electric blasts – not that she knew what that felt like. All four of them began screaming at a high pitch as their team mates called out their names. When the pain finally ceased, the two girls were reduced to their hands and knees while the Exceeds were lying face down on the grassy plain, seemingly unconscious.

"Lucy, Wendy!" Erza called, turning around to check their condition. Rookie mistake. The moment she turned around, Titania felt a heavy force make impact with her back, shattering her armour and sending her hurtling towards the ground.

"I'm not here to fight you, Red," Jarrod grinned, menacingly. "I'm here to catch up with two of my favourite wizards."

"You bastard!" Both males roared, before preparing a powerful attack.

"Karyū no Hōkō!"

"Hyōma no Gekikō!"

One funnel of flames and one of ice raced towards the bulky man at top speed, making impact with Jarrod on either side. Smoke consumed the surrounding area and the other members of Bloodford had to pull their hoods over their entire face for protection. When the dust finally cleared, Jarrod stood in the exact same position as before. No visible wounds were on him and he still wore the same maniacal grin on his face.

"How did he…" Natsu was practically speechless. Those two were amongst the strongest in their guild, how did their opponent come out of that unscathed? Natsu could see Gray's anger rising as the raven's demon tattoo began pulsating more and more as he clenched his fists.

"Jarrod," a feminine voice spoke up. "There is no need for pointless fighting. There is nothing for us here."

"She is right," another voice continued, speaking in a similar monotonous fashion as the last. "Wasting our time like this will only get us punished by our master."

"And if you don't mind, I would like to avoid a beating, thank you very much," a male voice chuckled.

"C'mon let's get outta here," the final voice whined.

Jarrod, despite having the time of his life kicking the fairies, obliged. "Well, Fairy Tail, it's been fun but I must be going now," he taunted. "Hope to see you boys again." And with that, Bloodford's team turned around and left the fairies wounded in forest.

Natsu and Gray turned to each other and nodded before taking a singular step. They were halted in their tracks by a booming voice shaking through the trees. "Don't you two even think about taking another step!"

"But Erza!" They both retorted.

"SIT DOWN!"

"Y-yes ma'am!" The two demons rapidly fell to the ground while placing their hands on their knees, fearing for their life.

"Lucy, Wendy, Happy, Carla, are you all alright?" Erza rose from her position and slowly made her way over to the group who were all gasping for breath.

"I feel like all my strength's been drained," Happy murmured, eyes threatening to fall shut again.

"What's with that guy's magic?" Carla wondered, trying to push herself into a sitting position.

"It almost looked like Master's Titan magic," Wendy mentioned, leaning her back on a tree in order to catch her breath.

"It's called Muscle Magic," Gray informed. "He can increase the size of his muscles which, in turn, increases his own strength. He can also steel his opponents' strength which gives him a boost."

"How on Earth could you beat someone like that?" Lucy moaned, using a tree stump to pull herself up. "No wonder you two lost against him." This earned her two pissed off glares.

"There's no use talking further on the subject here," Erza addressed the team. "Let's return to the guild and tell Master what has occurred."

No further questions were asked as the team silently made their way through the forest. Natsu and Wendy held their Exceed companions in their arms as the pair was far too drained to fly by themselves.

 ** _XXX_**

"What the hell was that?!" Lexine roared once the team were well out of range for the fairies to hear.

"We were told to observe the wizards, not challenge them," Sharmilia continued, her voice calm and steady.

"And there was no way to do that without provoking them," Jarrod argued. "Their job didn't even require magic. I fail to see why the so called 'Strongest Team in Fairy Tail' would feel the need to take on such a request."

"Master doesn't need to hear about this," Arata stated, taking his hood off. "No matter how we did it was have completed our task."

"We didn't get to 'observe' the Sky Dragon Slayer though," Ron rolled his eyes. "Wasn't the plan to get a good observation of all of them?"

"Ahh, that girl will be easy to beat," Lexine giggled. "I heard she's a real scared-y-cat."

"You shouldn't believe rumours, Lexine," Sharmilia mentioned. "I find it hard to believe that anyone with magic of their capabilities to have fear."

"Says the girls with no emotions…" Ron muttered, before leading his group back to their base.

 _ **XXX**_

After an agonising (well, for Natsu and Wendy at least) train journey back to Magnolia, the team had finally walked through their guild doors and were greeted with the pleasant smiles of their members. Natsu and Gray's first stop was the bar. After the previous events, they needed to drink their aggression away. Makarov joined the group at the bar after seeing some puzzled glances being directed towards them.

"How did your job go then?" He asked the five, though he was mainly looking at the males.

"The job went fine, Master," Erza smiled. "However, we ran into some trouble on our way back."

Makarov sighed. _Here we go again_ , he thought. "What happened this time?"

"We encountered a group of Bloodford's guild members. Including the man who attacked Natsu and Gray years ago." At this, both boys clenched their freshly poured mugs of booze in rage.

"You idiots didn't do anything stupid did you?" Makarov questioned, bringing his palm to his forehead.

"We fought back when he started attacking, that's all," Gray mentioned, avoiding eye contact with the others.

The tiny guild master paused for a moment's thought. "Don't think much of it for the time being, but the both of you need to keep your guard up. They clearly have something they're after, so we'll most likely be hearing from them again. They didn't show any interest in capturing you again, did they Natsu?"

"Nah," Natsu rested his arms on the bar, taking a swig of his drink. "All the guy wanted was 'a good fight.'"

"I see..."

"Master," Wendy chimed in. "I think they were following someone else's orders. I heard them say that fighting us would get them punished by their master."

"I heard them say something about a mission too," Lucy added.

"Really?" Makarov leaped up from his sitting position. "Looks like we've not seen the end to our troubles yet. I want you all to stick together. If Bloodford happen to attack again I want you all by each other's sides for support. No buts, understand?" This was directed towards the two demons of the team.

"Yes Gramps," they both answered in a child-like fashion. Noticing that a fight had just broken out, Natsu and Gray both bounded out of their seats and joined in the brawl.

"Erza," Makarov muttered. "Make sure you keep an eye on those two. It's not that I don't trust them, it's just..."

"I understand, Master. You have nothing to worry about. They'll be safe with me."

 ** _XXX_**

"So you met with our target?" The man on the throne boomed, grinning slightly.

"Yes Master," Jarrod continued. "Their job didn't require the use of magic so we were forced to engage in combat." Of course, Jarrod wasn't exactly happy about this white lie, but anything was better than earning a beating - or worse. "They weren't able to leave a scratch on me, but those boys are strong none the less."

"And what of the girl?" Their Master questioned.

"The Sky Dragon did not fight against us. She stood back with one of her other female comrades. However, I did manage to get a read on her power levels. It's nothing compared to the other Slayers."

"Looks like you five are good for something after all. I've had your rooms prepared. I hope you're all willing to spend time away from your guild as you will not be returning back to it until our mission is complete. You can meet your fellow comrades tomorrow in the meeting. You are dismissed."

The group bowed their heads in respect for their new Master before exiting the room and pacing down the corridor towards their new chambers.

"Alright! We're in!" Lexine cheered, pumping the air with her fist.

"Wonder what our comrades will be like?" Ron chimed in.

"We shouldn't discuss the matter now," Arata concluded. "It's time we get some well-deserved sleep."

"You may have got off the hook this time, Jarrod, but there will be no more disobeying orders, understand?" Sharmilia warned.

"You are in no place to order me around. Might I remind you who the leader of this team is," the bulky man sent a stern look her way.

 _You're also the most stubborn member of this time_ , Ron thought to himself, sighing.

As the Bloodford members continued their conversation, a girl - no older than fifteen - turned around the corner and they wound up crossing paths. This girl had light purple hair that reach to her shoulders and yellow eyes as beautiful as the bright sun. Her violet dress was littered with flowers all the colours of the rainbow and capped off at the knee. Her black boots concealed the rest of her legs and hid her white guild mark from their view. She was sucking on a red lollipop which was quickly pulled out of her mouth when she noticed the group of wizards before her.

"Hey, you guys the Bloodford members?" She beamed.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" Ron responded, folding his arms and raising an eye brow.

"I'm Maya Kyushi from Deceased Outlaws. One of the guild's in this alliance."

"I'm Lexine Di Antonio," the blunette leaped forward, shaking the older girl's hand.

"Nice to meet you, Lexi," Maya winked, placing the lollipop back in her mouth. "I heard the Master sent you out on a mission. So what was it like fighting a Lost Magic user?"

"Well thanks to Jarrod over here, none of us except him got a chance to throw down with them." Ron rolled his eyes. The twins just stared at the Deceased Outlaws wizard, remaining silent.

"Jarrod?" Maya mumbled. "Weren't you the guy who failed to capture them fifteen years ago?"

"You don't even look like you were alive fifteen years ago," Jarrod took a step forward, looking down at the girl.

"My father is the Master of my guild, old man. He told me what's expected of me and what will happen if I fail," she glared at the muscular man, grinning. "Well, it was nice meeting you all. See you at the meeting tomorrow. Bye Lexi." Maya continued walking down the corridor while the Bloodford members watched her until she was out of sight.

They were snapped out of their thoughts when the female twin addressed her comrades. "Come on, we're going to have a busy day tomorrow and we want to make a good first impression on the other guilds, don't we?" she glanced over to Jarrod.

The wizards found their separate rooms and closed the doors with a loud _BANG_ that resonated through the corridor. Each one sighed with content, knowing that they were now officially members of the _Mystery Circle Alliance_.

* * *

 ** _To be continued in chapter five - Christmas Special!_**

* * *

 **Character Profile - Bloodford**

Name: Arata Tsuyomi

Age: 17

Magic: Arrow Magic

Likes: His sister

Dislikes: Strong winds

Description: The older twin of Sharmilia, Arata often fashions a blank expression, making it hard to get a good read of his personality. When fighting, he is usually the one to stay calm and collected – a complete contrast to his team mate. It is extremely rare to see Arata get aggressive but he will not tolerate anyone bringing harm to his sister. He believes family always comes first.

* * *

 **So... I have good news and bad news.**

 **The good news is that I have almost completed the notes/structure for this fic that I need to write this fic, but the bad news is that I have hit a tad bit of writers block mid-way through writing chapter six. A new chapter will come out next week as planned, but after that it may be a while until I update this again. Basically, I have planned to write this fic in sections. This would be called section one, AKA, the prologue and I'm now writing the start of section two which I don't plan on releasing until it's all finished. It's gonna take a long time to finish writing it as I've barely started it, but I will get it done. I break up for Christmas soon so I will get to writing a lot. Just be patient with me guys. ;)**

 **In other news I finally reached sixty pages on my book that I've been writing for the past three years. When it's finished I plan on getting it published so I can't wait for that! XD**

 **As always, remember to follow, favourite and review! They make me happy. :D**

 **Au revoir!**


	5. Christmas Special!

**This will probably be the last chapter for a while. I've hit a writer's block with practically everything I'm writing at the moment so updates in general are going to be fairly slow. Also this chapter is a somewhat filler chapter to celebrate Christmas, AKA things mentioned in this chapter may not ever be brought up again in the future so if it seems out of place... oh well. :p Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own FT or Christmas.**

* * *

 **Mystery Circle**

By PokeTail

 _ **Chapter Five - Christmas Special!**_

* * *

Snowflakes elegantly floated through the air, coating the streets of Magnolia in a thick sheet of fluffy, white snow. It was the season to be jolly and this town was no exception to that rule. South Gate Park was decked out with tinsel, candy canes and even a humongous tree to celebrate the festivities. People were lining the streets buying gifts at the Christmas market before everything ran out. A certain Salamander and his Exceed companion were patrolling Magnolia, in search of the perfect gift.

"C'mon Happy, why won't you tell me who you got?" The Fire Dragon moaned, folding him arms.

"Natsu, it's called Secret Santa, telling you would ruin the secret of it!"

"You've got me haven't you?"

"Natsu, if I did have you, why would I be out buying your gift with you?"

"Oh yeah…"

Fairy Tail were partaking in their usual tradition of Secret Santa. As the majority of the guild members could barely afford their own rent at times, there was no way people could afford getting gifts for everyone. As a result, every year Makarov put all their names inside a hat to be picked out at random.

"So do you have any idea what you're gonna buy your Secret Santa?" Happy asked, brushing the snow off his small woollen hat.

Natsu gave a satisfied chuckle. "I found the perfect gift for them the other day, but it is a bit pricy."

"That explains why you took me out on god knows how many jobs last week…"

"What about you?"

"I think I know what to get them. It doesn't cost too much either."

Natsu and Happy continued talking until they reached the shop that Natsu had been looking for. According to the pyro, the gift he had in mind could only be bought here and nowhere else. One thought crossed Happy's mind as they entered the store was…

"You got Erza, didn't you?"

 ** _XXX_**

The guild hall was abuzz with festive cheer, as expected at this time of year. People singing Christmas numbers and discussing the New Year's celebration Fairy Tail usually put on for Magnolia, though people from many other town's drop by for a visit during the party. A ten foot tree was positioned at the back of the stage, decorated with hangings made by all the guild members back when they were young children. Some presents addressed to their members were already hidden under the branches, specifically presents sent over from other guilds such as Lamia Scale and Sabertooth. Every guild member took it upon themselves to wear at least one festive item for the holiday season whether it's a Christmas jumper or Santa Claus' hat. A group of the girls were gathered around one of the tables, enjoying a nice warm beverage.

"I love Christmas," Lucy sighed, taking a sip from her mug. "The guild really goes all out when celebrating, doesn't it?"

"As expected of Fairy Tail, right?" Wendy chuckled, smiling over to the blonde.

"It's a shame that Gildarts couldn't be around to celebrate with us," Erza mentioned, turning to Cana.

"Ahh, screw him," the brunette slurred. "We can have a good time without that ol' fart."

"Is Cana-san drinking at this time? It's only noon," Juvia muttered, not that she didn't expect this from the drunkard.

"It's never too early to have a good drink, Juvia," she patted the water wizard on the shoulder before taking another swig.

"So," Mira began, walking over to the girls after finishing serving another table. "Have you all got your presents ready for Secret Santa?"

At this, Juvia's face turned a brilliant shade of red and the other's looked at Mira in somewhat shock.

"I completely forgot!" Levy cried, rising from her seated position. "I'm gonna look like a horrible friend when I show up on Christmas Day empty handed!"

"Did someone mention Secret Santa?" The girls turned in the direction of the voice to see Gray and Gajeel pacing towards them after growing bored of fighting the other male members. It just wasn't as satisfying without the Flamebrain around to beat up.

"I already bought my gift," Gray smirked. "My Secret Santa's gonna love me after they see what I bought them."

"Love…" Juvia face turned an even darker red – if that was even possible.

"You could have reminded us sooner!" Gajeel roared. "Christmas is two days away and all the shops close tomorrow."

"Umm… I could maybe help you buy a gift… I mean if you want…" Levy mumbled, blushing slightly.

"You'd do that, Levy?"

The petite girl just nodded.

"Then what are we doing standing here? Let's get out into the market before everything's gone!" The Iron Dragon grabbed hold of the girl's wrist and they were out the door before the others could blink.

"Aww, I was gonna ask Levy-chan if she could help me find something," Lucy whined, placing her empty mug on the table for Mira to collect.

"Don't worry, Lucy-san," Wendy rose, taking Lucy's hands in her own. "Carla and I still need to go out and buy something. You can come with us."

"Really? Thanks Wendy." The trio made sure to wrap up in their warmer clothing before emerging into the snow stricken world outside.

"Umm… Erza-san could Juvia talk to you for a moment?" The shy rain woman murmured.

"Certainly," the red-head responded, both girls leaving the table.

"I'll take it you already got a gift for your Secret Santa?" Gray wondered, taking a seat next to his best friend.

"Of course," Cana wailed in her drunken state. "My Secret Santa was definitely the easiest to buy for."

"I'm afraid I have to disagree with you there. My Secret Santa was the easiest out of our guild."

"Really? Who'd you get?"

"Hah," Gray laughed. "Like I'm gonna tell you, you'd blurt it out to the whole guild."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because you're out of your mind drunk, idiot."

"Shaddup!" Cana yelled, downing another mug of booze. "Did you buy Lyon something for Christmas?"

"I kinda had to. He did send me one after all."

"It's not fair! Why do you get two presents?" Cana's words became even more slurred and she began swaying in her seat.

"Okay, maybe you should lay off the booze for the rest of the day…" Gray sighed, moving his hand to pick up the mug, earning him a slap across the cheek from the brunette.

Juvia had pulled Erza over to one side to discuss some important secret matters.

"Erza-san… Could you… Could you… Please help Juvia find the perfect gift for her Secret Santa?"

"Of course I can Juvia," Erza smiled. "But, why me? I would have thought you'd have asked Gajeel to assist you."

"It's just that, Erza-san was so helpful when Juvia was deciding on the perfect gift last time. Juvia wants the gift she buy's to be special."

"Let me guess, you got…"

"Shhh," the blunette whispered, flailing her arms. "Juvia doesn't want her Secret Santa finding out."

Erza chuckled. "Well, we better get out into the market to find the perfect gift then." The girl's grabbed their coats and dashed out the front doors.

 ** _XXX_**

Christmas Day had finally come around and the guild was absolutely packed. Usually, guild halls would be empty as the wizards would be out spending time with their own families. However, Fairy Tail was the exception. You couldn't find a guild as close as these lot anywhere else. The majority of fairies were all wearing Christmas jumpers to celebrate and absolutely everyone was wearing a Christmas hat, yes, even Laxus. They had already partaken in a guild sing-a-long to their favourite Christmas tunes and now Makarov was stood on the stage in front of the tree that was now covered to the brim with the presents for their guild members.

"Right, brats," Makarov addressed the guild. "Don't you think it's time we got to open our presents?"

"AYE!" Everyone cheered.

One by one, the wizards all approached Makarov as he handed out the gifts to his children. They all raced back to their seats to unwrap their presents.

"Wendy, why don't you start us off?" Makarov suggested.

"Okay," she smiled, placing the box in her lap. After carefully pulling apart the blue and yellow paper, she slowly pulled of the lid and her face beamed with joy. A white dragon plush was curled up amongst the packaging. A dragon that looked like an exact replica of her beloved mother, Grandeeney. Many off the girls in the guild awed at the doll and the males smiled at the child's happiness. Wendy pulled out the card that came with it and read. " _From Erza_. Thank you Erza-san I love it!" The girl ran over to her big sister and puller her into a tight hug.

"I knew you'd love it," the red-head returned the hug.

"Go on then Erza, you're next."

The requip wizard obliged and stood next to her two presents. Just as she began to open the first one, she was halted by a certain pyro. "Woah, woah, WOAH! How come Erza and Gray get two presents?"

"Because we have friends from other guilds, Dumbass," Gray rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair.

Erza laughed and continued to open her first gift. The box was very long and thin so Erza already had a good guess of what it was. Taking the lid off, she was met with a sharp katana that had a strong red hilt. Erza smiled as she read out the card " _From Milliana & Kagura_." Most wizards shuddered, Erza had too much weaponry already, and giving her more was just giving the woman more ways to threaten them. Moving over to her second gift - which was as tall as her. She removed the wrapping paper and pried open the box. When the gift was revealed, gasps and chuckles were heard throughout the hall. There were light blue boots that reached just past her knees with sliver armoured plates protecting vital areas. Silver undergarments were visible with a see-through azure skirt over the top. The armoured breast plates were black and had silver spikes to keep them in place. The spikes also supported her hips and back leaving the chest and stomach exposed. This armour came with a double-sided spear that was slightly coated it what appeared to be ice. "It's Ice Empress Armour," Erza beamed, inspecting the outfit. She found the card and honestly wasn't surprised when she read out who it was from. "Thank you, Natsu."

"Natsu, you're dead to me," a particularly angry ice wizard scowled towards the Salamander, causing the whole guild to erupt into laughter.

"That means it's my turn next!" The fire wizard grinned, grabbing his present off the table. He wasted no time in ripping of the paper surrounding it, eager to find out what he'd got. Upon opening the box, he found a huge picture frame with the image of him and all his guild mates smiling and posing for the camera. Everyone gather around to find themselves in the picture and laugh at other people's ridiculous poses. Natsu picked up the card he'd somehow managed to drop on the floor. " _From Lucy_. Thanks, Lucy. I love it!" He smiled over to his team mate.

"No problem. So I guess that means it's my turn right?"

Lucy swivelled around in her seat so she was once again facing the table. It didn't take long for the blonde to unwrap box as the gift was no bigger than the teen's hand. She lifted the lid off of the snow white box and was met with silver. A shiny key was carefully placed in the box. A small image of what appeared to be a serpent was on the end of the key in a see blue colour. "The Gate of the Water Snake, Hydrus," she read out from the card. "Oohhhh, Levy-chan, I love it!" She exclaimed upon realised who it was from.

"No problem Lu-chan," the blunette bounded over to her best friend and gave her a warm hug. "Now's my turn."

Levy tore away the paper on her box and quickly opened up the lid. Inside she found the one book she'd had her eye on for the past two months, _Assassins of The Eternal_ , a fantasy novel about a group of assassins, protecting a god known as The Eternal. "Thanks Cana! I can't wait to start reading it!"

"Alright, it's my turn!" The drunkard yelled, hauling her present in front of her. This in particular gift was very… barrel like. Cana pulled at the wrapping paper until it had been all ripped away and left in a scrunched up mess on the floor. "This alcohol is so expensive!" To say Cana was shocked was an understatement. That was until she read who it was from. "Gray, I love you!" She ran over to hug the raven, much to his annoyance.

"Told you my Secret Santa was the easiest to buy for," he chuckled before grabbing his presents. He rapidly tore off the paper and took the gift out of his box. His gift was an average-sized photo frame with an image of an eight-year old Gray stood next to a nine-year old Lyon with the arms of their beloved master around their shoulders, each person smiling.

"Aww, that was so sweet of Lyon-sama," Juvia mentioned, awing at Gray's younger self.

"I can't even remember when this was taken," Gray muttered, smiling to himself. Moving over to his next gift, the ice wizard unravelled the wrapping paper and took the gift out of its box. A glass dome encased a miniature structure of the guild hall surrounded by a thin layer of snow with more of it falling down.

"Gray-sama won't even need to shake it," Juvia pointed out. "There's a snow Lacrima inside so the snowflakes will never stop falling."

"Wow, thanks Juvia. I love it," Gray smirked. Juvia sent a quick glance over to Erza, mouthing the words thank you, to which she nodded in response. "What're you waitin' for? It's your turn."

"Oh, right," Juvia grabbed hold of the small present as quickly took the wrapping paper off and opened up the box. Inside was an intricately designed snowflake with a bluish tint attached to a metal chain. Next to it were two matching snowflake earrings with a card next to it saying _From Gajeel_. "Gajeel-kun, this is beautiful," the blunette proclaimed.

"Don't mention it," the Iron Dragon leaned back in his seat, satisfied with her reaction. Gajeel's expression rapidly changed when he realised it was his turn to open his gift. And by the shape of the present, he had a pretty good idea what he was receiving. Wasting no time in pulling apart the festive paper, the male's face beamed when he came face to face with his brand new guitar. Natsu and Gray both shared a groan, glancing at each other as if they were plotting against the idiot who bought the guy a guitar.

"Thanks Mira," Gajeel chuckled strumming on some of the strings.

"No problem. Now it's my turn," the bartender gleamed, reaching over to her present. Once the paper had been delicately torn off, the girl pulled off the lid and found a truly beautiful new dress. The top was white with long sleeves. The cuffs were a gorgeous pink colour that matched the collar and buttons. The pink skirt capped off at the knees, allowing the girl to display her attractive, long legs. "Wow, this is lovely." She took a quick glance at the card. "Laxus, thank you so much."

"Whatever," the man sighed, trying to hide his blush. Laxus tore away at his own gift, not really caring about what it was. Though, he had to admit that he was happy to see a brand new pair of headphone neatly packed inside the box. He picked up the card and read it out. " _From Wendy_ , thanks kid," he smiled slightly towards the child.

"I hope you like it Laxus-san," she muttered, twiddling her thumbs.

He nodded towards the girl and smiled. All around them, other members of the guild were receiving gifts from their Secret Santa's. Even the Exceeds had made an effort; Carla had bought Happy a rare and delicious bread of fish, Pantherlily got Carla and new bow for her tail and Happy got Pantherlily some Kiwi. Mugs were being clanged together and cheers resonated throughout the guild hall. It was time for the party to begin.

"HOLD ON A SECOND!" A voice roared through the building, silencing everyone.

"What is it now, Flamebrain?" Gray yelled back.

"There's one more person who needs to open their gift," he pointed out, bounding over to the tree and picking up a somewhat large present.

"Which of you brats forgot to open your present?" Makarov spoke up. Everyone giggled.

"Gramps, this one's addressed to you," Natsu handed the tiny man the present.

"Me?" To say the old man was shocked was an understatement. He tore off the paper and tears began forming in his eyes at the sight of his gift. A large photo album was sat on his lap with a picture of the entire guild on the front. He opened up to the first page to find a flood of practically every photo they'd ever taken. There was one of Natsu, Gray and Erza as children, another of the moment Team Shadow Gear was formed, there was even one of a baby Makarov being embraced by his late father, Yuri.

"Everyone pitched in, Gramps," Natsu sent the man a toothy grin as he flicked through the book.

"I love you brats so much," the man snuffled. "Don't you ever forget that."

"AYE!" Everyone cheered, raising their index finger and their thumb to the sky.

Makarov laughed and joined in with the gesture. He wiped his teary eyes clean before addressing the guild members once again. "NOW WHO'S UP FOR A PARTY?!"

 ** _XXX_**

Over at their base of operations, the chosen Bloodford team were spending their Christmas away from their usual habitat of their guildhall. Just because they were a dark guild didn't mean that they were against the holiday. The group had gathered in Lexine's room to have a celebration of their own. Ron had even gone to the trouble of buying her a gift. Nothing too special, just a panda plush he'd seen during their travels, and the twelve-year old did seem to have an obsession with what she referred to as 'cute animals' so at least this would keep her mind off the home sickness. Lexine was bouncing around the room with Christmas songs on full blast, much to Jarrod's annoyance. It was too hard to tell if the twins were enjoying themselves or not, their expression – as usual – were a complete blank. Ron was joining in with the Christmas cheer, slightly disappointed that no one had bothered to get him a gift. He didn't care that he was eighteen, you're never too old for Christmas.

Maya Kyushi traipsed past the girl's room on her way back from running an errand for a team mate of hers. The music was booming through the corridors and she was surprised no one had come out to complain yet. Her face fell after thinking of the celebrations that would take part at her guild. Her father always went that extra mile for the occasion and they were probably having just as much fun – if not more – without her and her team around. _Maybe I'll send a message to Father?_ She thought.

After returning to her room, the violet-haired girl lit a candle and grabbed a pen and some paper from a nearby draw. Placing them both on her desk, she took her seat and instantly began writing.

 _Dear Father,_

 _Merry Christmas from me and the team! I hope you're all having fun. As for me, I'm still awaiting further orders, but we should be getting something to do soon. The others are doing well, though I've been spending most of my time researching into Lost Magic. I'm surprised there are only eleven known Lost Magic users in the world, you'd think there'd be much more considering the amount of information there is on them. You don't have to worry about me, I promise that I will make you proud no matter what, or else I have no right to call myself your daughter. Say hi to everyone at the guild for me; can't wait to see you all again._

 _Merry Christmas_

 _Maya Kyushi_

* * *

 ** _To be continued in chapter six – Our Climb Back to the Top_**

* * *

 **Character Profile - Bloodford**

Name: Sharmilia Tsuyomi

Age: 17

Magic: Arrow Magic

Likes: Her brother

Dislikes: Company

Description: The younger twin of Arata, Sharmilia also fashions the same blank expression as her brother. Unlike him though, she has never once gotten aggressive with friend or foe, leading people to believe she holds no emotions whatsoever. She enjoys spending her time alone so she can contemplate some of life's unanswered questions and even write poetry.

* * *

 **Hope everyone enjoyed this festive chapter of Mystery Circle and have a very merry Christmas or whatever holiday you'll be celebrating. As I said before updates are going to be halted on this fic for the time being due to writers block but they will start back up again once I get things sorted out.**

 **As always you can follow, favourite and review to let me know how brilliant I am. JK :p If you wanna tell me how bad I am you can do that too.**

 **QUESTION TIME!**

 **Should I become a Beta reader? I've been considering it for a while now, but knowing me, I'd still miss out a bunch of errors. What do you guys think?**

 **Happy Holidays! ;)**


	6. Our Climb Back to the Top

**I AM A HORRIBLE PERSON! I am sooooooooo sorry I've been MIA for almost six months now! I really have no excuse. And I'm not officially 'back' yet as I'm smack bang in the middle of exam season (Joys...). But don't get me wrong, I haven't stopped writing. I'm currently working on two multi-chapter fics along side this one (and a possible re-write of an old fic) so look forward to them in the near future. I just thought I'd post this to say 'Hey, I'm not given up yet!' Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own!**

* * *

 **Mystery Circle**

By PokeTail

 _ **Chapter Six - Our Climb Back to the Top**_

* * *

Weeks flew by without so much as hitch for Fairy Tail. Normal activity had taken place within the rambunctious guild, however it was no lie that its members were all slightly on edge after the strongest team's run in with Bloodford. Makarov was definitely tenser than others. He prioritised the safety of his children above all else and knowing that there was someone out there threatening the lives of his brats wasn't keeping his spirits high, and it was safe to say that the two demons of the guild were defiantly taking the heat of the incident. Since the encounter with their childhood attacker, the males' fights had increased by an incredible amount, much to Erza's annoyance. It was their way of communicating with each other, their way of releasing stress, their way of telling themselves that everything was fine.

"Hey, Ice Princess, come fight me!" a certain fire wizard roared across the room.

"Bring it on, Hot-Head," the devil yelled back, jumping up from his seat at the bar.

As the boys sent punch after punch at one another, the girls of their team continued to watch with a feeling of déjà vu.

"Those two seem to be fighting every five seconds," Lucy mentioned. "They must be really on edge."

"I'm surprised you haven't tried to stop them, Erza-san," Wendy chuckled over the sound of Happy and Juvia's cheers of encouragement for their partners.

Erza just nodded until Makarov walked out onto the staging area, causing the guild members to fall silent.

"Now I'm sure that you're all aware by now that the Grand Magic Games are just around the corner. This'll be the first games since we reformed the guild so we need to climb back up to the top. I've been doing a lot of thinking and have organised the perfect team for success."

"I wonder who'll be on the team this year," Bisca whispered over to her husband and daughter.

"It wouldn't surprise me if it's Erza's team. I can't imagine us losing with those guys fighting for us," Alzack replied as Asuka giggled in his arms.

"I can't wait!" Romeo clenched his fists in excitement. "This year's games is gonna be awesome."

"Hopefully without any 'interruptions' this time," Evergreen rolled her eyes.

"Natsu Dragneel," Makarov announced.

"Let's do this!"

"Gray Fullbuster."

"Won't let you down, Gramps."

"Gajeel Redfox."

"Geehee."

"Laxus Dreyar."

"Alright."

"And…"

"It's gotta be Erza, right?" Warren muttered.

"Yeah, she's a man!" Elfman agreed.

"Umm… Erza's a girl, Elf-niichan," Lisanna sighed.

"Wendy Marvel."

"What? Me?" to say the girl was shocked would be an understatement. There were so many other guild members stronger than her. Erza or Lucy could easily take her place.

"On the B team we have: Erza Scarlet, Lucy Heartfelia, Juvia Lockser, Mira Strauss and Cana Alberona."

"Alright! Girl power!" A drunken wizard called over from the back of the guild.

"Umm… Master, I don't think I should be on the A team," Wendy mumbled, unheard by most.

"Wendy," her feline friend spoke up. "You should be proud that Master has noticed how much stronger you've become. I think you'll do great on the main team."

"I guess..." she nervously smiled back.

 ** _XXX_**

The Sabertooth guild was as joyful as ever. Their beloved guild master, Sting Eucliffe, was sat amongst his closest friends: Rogue, Minerva, Yukino, Orga, Rufus, not to mention Lector and Frosch. The team were sharing a well-deserved meal after they had all returned from their own solo jobs. It felt like an eternity since they had all seen each other.

"Sting," Minerva began. "What's your plan for the Grand Magic Games? You can't exactly take part anymore now you're guild master."

"Man, that sucks," Sting exhaled. "I guess it's up to you guys to lead us to victor then."

"It's gonna be a real shame not seeing Sting-kun fighting alongside the guild," Lector frowned.

"For thinks so too," the green Exceed raised his arms, a look of disappointment covering his face.

"Do you think Fairy Tail will be taking part this year?" Rogue wondered, leaning back in his chair.

"I hope so," Yukino beamed. "It would be great to see Lucy-sama and everyone else again."

"I remember the nature of that guild," Rufus smiled, "and I have no doubt that they will be taking part this year."

"It'll be interesting to see how much stronger they have become since we last fought," Minerva smiled sadly, thinking back to the incident with Tartarus.

"We'll definitely win this time, just watch!" Orga boomed, raising from his seat and preparing to sing his little ditty. Yes, they were a happy guild indeed.

 ** _XXX_**

Lamia Scale was a far more peaceful guild, mainly because of their master's threats of being spun if they misbehaved. Lyon and his team had just returned from another successful job and the second they walked through the doors, they were beckoned over by Ooba Babasaama. Lyon's form immediately went ridged. As the days flew by, his team had noticed that the ice wizard had been become more and more reckless when going out on jobs. His team mates would make jokes about it being Fairy Tail's influence as he tended to visit the over-the-top guild quite a bit to catch up with his younger brother. Thankfully, this wasn't another scolding.

"I want you five in our team for the Grand Magic Games. Any complaints and you'll be spun, understand?"

The team quickly nodded before returning to their usual table in their guild hall and began discussing their plans for the games.

"I'd completely forgotten about the Grand Magic Games. It feels like it's been forever since we last entered," Chelia mentioned, bringing over some drinks for her team.

"Well, it has been two years since we last took part," Jura pointed out.

"That was only because Fairy Tail had disbanded. All the strongest guilds in Fiore agreed not to enter as the games just wouldn't be as enjoyable with them in," Yuka explained, taking a sip from his glass of sparkling water.

"But Fairy Tail is back now so we should all take part again!" Toby howled, throwing his arms in the air.

"I'll get to prove to Gray who the superior pupil is," Lyon mumbled to himself, although he was heard by Chelia.

"Lyon, you do remember that Gray is a Devil Slayer right? Any ice attack you send his way he can just eat and send an even stronger attack back."

"Hah! Just because the bastard's got himself some Lost Magic now doesn't mean I can't kick his ass."

"As stubborn as always…" Jura rolled his eyes. "Even I do not think that I could beat one of the Fairy Tail member's in a fight. I have already been beaten by Laxus-dono and in my opinion; Natsu-dono and Gray-dono have both surpassed that man in the past months."

"Tch…" Lyon looked away. There was no way he was admitting defeat just because his brother had a boost in power. He was just going to have to train until the games came around.

 ** _XXX_**

Ron, Lexine and Arata had just been going about their day, minding their own business, when they had been summoned by their new master. All completely clueless of the possible tasks they could be asked to perform, the group of three made it to the man's meeting room.

"Ahh, Bloodford, so kind of you to join us," the bulky man greeted, gesturing for them to take a seat next to their colleagues. They could vaguely remember each of them by face; names however, were a different story. "Now I'm sure you know by now that the Grand Magic Games are approaching and I want all of you to take part. Now, I know what you're thinking, 'Master, we're an alliance of dark guilds, we aren't allowed to participate' and yes, you are right. However, I have had the council recognise us as an official guild. We now answer to Mystery Circle and I will be sending out two teams to fight in the games. The official guilds need to know the true fear of our alliance. Therefore, when I speak out your name, I want you to stand. Pippin Ronchin, Lexine Di Antonio."

The two Bloodford members did as instructed and rose from their seats, all eyes on them. The Master continued.

"Diodato Sanna."

A tall man of average build rose from his seat. He had jet black hair that covered his right eye with a scar peeking out from behind his raven locks. He wore a grey, sleeveless shirt that displayed his Grim Reaper tattoo located on his left arm and his guild mark – a skull and crossbones – on his right. His baggy black jeans hung loosely around his ankles and a chain was attached to the left side of his belt loops. His dark grey robe had been discarded for the time being.

"Yui Muskrai."

The brunette girl stood next. Her medium cut hair was kept back in two pigtails on either side of her head. She wore a dark blue t-shirt with shooting stars printed on the front. She had orange hot pants with black converse to properly show off her legs and yellow guild mark positioned on her right thigh. These two wizards were both – like Maya – members of the Deceased Outlaws dark guild.

"Kuro Kawaguchi."

A male sporting black spiked hair with a few red streaks pushed himself out of his chair. This man wore no shirt but had a pure black jacket covering his upper body. The jacket was unbuttoned, showing his red guild mark – a snake – stamped on his left pectoral. He had grey baggy trousers that were tucked into his black boots. This wizard was from Venomfury.

"You five will be representing Mystery Circle's A team. I want you to do whatever it takes to win that tournament. I will also be sending in a B team for good measure. On this team will be Arata Tsuyomi."

The final Bloodford member rose out of his seat.

"Maya Kyushi."

The child bounded out of her chair, slightly clinging onto Diodato, her teammate.

"Gwydion Aiza."

This individual had navy coloured hair along with hazel eyes. He wore a white shirt that was mostly covered by a purple jacket. He had baggy black trousers that were tucked into his brown hiking boots. His guild mark was hidden away on the centre of his back in the same navy colour as his hair. This wizard – along with Maya, Yui and Diodato – was members of Deceased Outlaws.

"Izumi Ito."

The teenage girl rose from her chair. She had black hair fashioned in a boyish cut with her fringe capping off just above her indigo eyes. The girl was quite short in height, despite being in her late teens. Izumi wore a red dress that finished just above her knees with a black leather jacket over top. She had long black boots to finish the look and her face was heavily made up.

"Mariko Kimura."

The final male sat among the wizards rose up. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties and had blazing red hair with deep brown eyes. The man wore a sleeveless brown shirt along with denim jeans. His combat boots matched his top and he had a menacing grin on his face.

"I am expecting greatness out of these teams," their master continued, "and I will not accept failure. Do whatever the cost to win and whatever you do, do NOT get us disqualified. I have a plan for the Grand Magic Games. Those goody-two-shoes wizards better be prepared for Mystery Circle."

* * *

 _ **To be continued in chapter seven - Preliminary Round - Underground Labyrinth**_

* * *

 **Character Profiles - Bloodford**

Name: Lexine Di Antonio

Age: 12

Magic: Puppet Magic

Likes: Games

Dislikes: Cheaters

Description: This sadistic young girl is always up for some fun. She treats her fights like a game in which the only rule is that she always wins. She has challenged many of her guild mates to all kinds of games and to this day, she had never lost. She adores her Puppets and summons them during her daily life to assist her with pretty much anything.

* * *

 **Okay, so I know not much is going on, but things will pick up when we get into the real games. You have no idea how excited I am to write some of the future chapters. I was adding bits to my notes the other day, giggling like an idiot at some of the stuff I'd written, so I hope you all continue to enjoy this.**

 **Man, so much shit has happened with FT since I've been gone. HAS ANYONE HEARD/SEEN THE VIDEOS FOR THE STAGE PLAY?! If not, go to YouTube right now and watch them. It is my favourite thing ever. What makes it even more awesome is that... IT'S A FRIGGIN' MUSICAL! Eagerly anticipating the release of the DVD in August!**

 **Probably won'y update again for a while; college is a bitch as usual and I should really be revising for my exams and finishing coursework... Ah well.**

 **TTFN!**


	7. Preliminary Round: Underground Labyrinth

**This really should have been out a while ago, but I kept getting distracted with other shit to actually update. My dearest apologies people.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Mystery Circle**

By PokeTail

 ** _Chapter Seven - Preliminary Round - Underground Labyrinth_**

* * *

The training days flew by before you could blink and the competing guilds were already lining the streets of Crocus awaiting the preliminary round to begin. The clock wasn't far off midnight by now and Erza had strictly ordered the two Fairy Tail teams to be back in their lodge by eleven o'clock in order for everyone to be physically and mentally prepared for the challenges ahead. This resulted in a petite dragon slayer being stuck in a room with four quarrelling slayers for a whole hour. Luckily for her, Fairy Tail's Exceed's were present to keep the girl company as the males argued over who the strongest was in the background.

"So Wendy," Pantherlily began, "are you ready for the Grand Magic Games?"

"Yep," the blunette responded, enthusiastically. "I still can't believe that I made it onto the A team though. Erza-san or Lucy-san would be much better for the team."

"Wendy, I told you didn't I?" Carla pouted. "You should be proud. Master recognises your strength and has picked you for that reason."

"Aye, doubting your ability will affect your fighting," Happy added.

"You're right, thanks," Wendy smiled down at the trio.

"Now what are we going to do about that?" Carla questioned motioning to the male slayers.

The wizards in question were extremely focused in their pillow fight, though they weren't exactly playing fair. Natsu had resorted to setting the cushions on fire, leaving the others to prevent the pyro getting his hands on anymore.

"I'm definitely the strongest member of this team. I'm a friggin' demon for crying out loud. I should be the leader by default."

"Aren't you forgetting what magic I possess, Flamebrain?" Gray snorted. "I'm a Devil Slayer. My magic's naturally stronger than you guys."

"Wanna put that to the test, Popsicle?" Gajeel cracked his knuckles before turning his fist into pure metal.

"This is getting ridiculous," Laxus rolled his eyes. "I should be the leader as I'm the only one who has ever been S-Class."

"And what exactly happened to that title?" Gajeel teased, smirking at the older man.

"At least Natsu and Gray's arguments are more convincing; you're not even eligible for S-Class, Metal Head."

"Just you wait until the next trial. We'll see who gets to hold the title."

"It'll be me!" Natsu and Gray bother roared before glaring at each other and continuing the brawl.

 ** _XXX_**

The B team weren't being quite as loud as their comrades. The group of girls were laying down on their beds chatting away whilst Cana swigged down some booze.

"I feel sorry for Wendy," Mira sighed. "Stuck in a room with the guys…"

"Maybe Juvia should go and check on her," the water wizard suggested, rising up from her bed.

"That's code for Juvia wants to stalk on the devil," Cana chuckled, hiccuping slightly.

Juvia face turned a pinkish hue as she shuffled over to the door. She was quickly stopped in her tracks by a scarlet haired wizard.

"Juvia, the preliminary round could start at any minute and we need to be prepared," Erza instructed the blunette to return to her seat.

"Speaking of the preliminary, what do you think it could be?" Lucy pondered. "I highly doubt it would be the same as last time."

Just as the sentence left her mouth, the clock struck midnight and the entire structure began to rumble. Floorboards slid and folded away revealing a tunnel hiding below the building. A hologram appeared in front of the B team as it did with every other participating guild.

"Greetings participants," Mato began, "and welcome to the Grand Magic Games X793 Preliminary Round–kabo! This trial is called Underground Labyrinth. It's quite similar to the Sky Labyrinth actually. You need to navigate through the tunnels and find the finish line. The first eight teams across will be participating in the full tournament starting tomorrow. Good luck to all!"

"I guess that explains why they put us in a room on the ground floor," Lucy pointed out.

"Come on everyone. The others have probably already set off. Let's go!"

 ** _XXX_**

Sure enough, Fairy Tail's A team had already raced down the steps into the cave and we skidding through the multiple twists and turns, guided by the dragons' noses. The slayer's came to a halt when they were met with a cross road. Three tunnels, one to their left, one to their right and one straight ahead, but which way was the right path?

"Which way do we go now?" Gray questioned, firmly folding his arms in frustration.

"I dunno. All the dirt is messing with my senses," Natsu sighed, looking towards the other first gen dragon slayers who nodded in agreement.

"Can't your devil senses do something?" Gajeel taunted, shoving his face towards the raven.

"If I could do something I would have done it by now," Gray retaliated, preparing to take a swing at the Iron Dragon.

Sighing in annoyance, Laxus decided that his instincts would be their best bet. He studied the tunnels carefully before concluding that the right tunnel was where they luck lay. "Guys, I got a good feeling about this one."

"Right," Wendy nodded, a look of determination covering her features. "Let's go."

"We're pinning our chances on Laxus' 'feeling' really?" Gajeel moaned.

"Well do you have a better idea?" Natsu retorted.

"You wanna go?"

"I'll kick your ass, Metal Head!"

"Natsu-san, Gajeel-san, we don't have time for this," Wendy scolded as if she was trying to mimic Erza.

"You idiots can beat each other up all you want when the games are over," Gray rolled his eyes. "For now, we need to show everyone who's the strongest guild around here." He grinned, earning a determined smirk from the other slayers.

The wizard's then picked up the pace and charged down the right tunnel.

 ** _XXX_**

Lexine was using her puppets to find the correct route into the tunnels. She must have sent at least fifteen of the marionettes out in order to impress her fellow comrades. Kuro had been a bit hesitant in letting a mere child join their ranks as high class wizards, but their master's word was final and the blood wizard knew better than to question his ways.

"I feel like we're going in circles," Yui proclaimed as they came across yet another dead end. "I swear I've seen that rock before."

"Everything looks the same around here, just keep quiet and continue down a new path," Diodato responded, sternly.

"No, something's not right," Kuro informed, staring down the wall of the tunnel.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T FIND A WAY OUT OF HERE?!" The blunette roared at her puppets. Snapping her fingers, each one disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Useless idiots…" she muttered.

"Kuro," Ron spoke up after cancelling out his speed magic. "I did a check of all the possible routes we could have gone down. Each one leads to a dead end."

The man blew his jet black hair out of his face before taking a closer look at the wall in front of him. Squinting his eyes, he slowly placed his hand against the firm interior. "Let's head back to one of the previous routes," he stated as he turned around, much to his team's confusion.

 ** _XXX_**

"IT'S ANOTHER DEAD END!" Toby howled, flailing his arms in the air.

The Lamia Scale members were stuck in the same rut as the other guilds, encountering dead end after dead end. Some of the members were now growing impatient, much to the others annoyance.

"Jura-san, is there any way you could use your magic to create our own passageway?" Lyon suggested, whilst glaring Toby's way, ushering him to shut up.

Jura gave no answer. He was too occupied in staring intently at the block in their path. Taking a step closer, the Wizard Saint went to place his hand on the structure only to watch the ligament fall through into what felt to be nothing. "Some of the walls are false," he stated.

The rest of the team paused in shock. They were all snapped back into reality when Yuka made his voice heard.

"I knew things wouldn't be as simple as they originally made it out to be," he muttered.

"Hopefully the other guilds haven't figured this out yet. Let's get a move on!" Chelia cheered as they all took off running.

 ** _XXX_**

"Who would have thought that there would be fake walls?" Orga rolled his eyes as he followed his team.

"It's a good thing Rufus was able to figure it out," Yukino smiled over to her comrade who bowed his head in return.

Sabertooth all held smug expressions, proud at the fact that their team had figured out the secret of this race so soon. The group were still trying to adapt their ways without the White Dragon Slayer to input. It was strange not having Sting fighting by their side, especially as he was the one who would keep their spirits high.

"I'm sure other guilds would have realised by now too. We have to pick up the pace if we want to make it into the top eight," Minerva informed.

"Sting's counting on us to win this," Rogue reminded as the group passed through another false wall. "Let's keep going."

 ** _XXX_**

After discovering that Laxus' instincts were indeed correct, Fairy Tail Team A were speeding down the tunnels, passing through fake walls left and right. They'd come so far that they'd even begun seeing the light at the other end. Their determination rising, the group moved into a sprint as they charged into a clearing. Mato was positioned at the exit to greet the team and congratulate them on a job well done.

"C'mon, Pumpkin man, what place did we come," Natsu urged, practically jumping up and down in excitement.

"Team Fairy Tail A," the small man proclaimed. "Congratulations, you've managed to achieve third place–kabo!"

"Well at least we're not last," Gray sighed, chuckling.

"I wonder what place the guys from the other team came?" Wendy pondered, glancing back at the tunnels.

"Guess we'll just have to wait until tomorrow to find out," Natsu replied. "I swear, if they beat us again, I'm gonna…"

"You remember Erza's on their team right?" Gajeel taunted as Natsu silenced with dread.

"Well, I don't know about you guys," Laxus yawned, "but I'm going back to the inn to get some sleep. I wanna be ready for the games tomorrow."

Nodding in agreement, Fairy Tail's A team all returned to the comfort of the inn and instantly fell into a dreamless sleep.

 ** _XXX_**

"Good Morning Crocus, and welcome to the X793 Grand Magic Games! I am your host for the duration of the games Chapati Lola and I am joined by my co-host Yajima!" The announcer's voice resonated through the many speakers around the Domus Flau arena.

"It's a pleashure to be here," Yajima smiled. "I can't wait to shee what thish year hash in store."

"Our guest host for the first day is none other than Wizard Saint and Master of the Fairy Tail guild Makarov Dreyar!"

"Yo!" The petite man greeting holding his fingers up in the peace sign.

"The events this year are even bigger and better than before. This year the games will consist of eight days with an event and battle round each day. The final day will – as per usual – will be a free for all battle all across Crocus. Will Scarmiglione – winners of last year's games – once again prove their strength? Or will a new guild show us all who's on top? Let's introduce our teams!"

The crowd roared with excitement and smoke and special effects went off to signal the participants' arrival.

"In eighth position, a guild that sours through the skies with the elegance of a Pegasus. You all know who I'm talking about. It's Blue Pegasus!"

Ichiya lead his team through the arch way and onto the battle grounds. The Blue Pegasus team consisted of him, Jenny, Hibiki, Ren and Eve. Crowd members waved flags with the guild emblem on, presenting their affection and support for the guild.

"What a disappointing parfum," Ichiya proclaimed to his team. "To result in last place has brought shame upon our team."

"Don't worry Sensei," Eve beamed. "We can bring ourselves up to the top in no time."

"The crowd loves me!" Jenny cried, waving and posing at the audience.

"In seventh position," Chapati continued. "A guild that knows no boundaries and no manners for that matter, Quatro Cerberus!"

The guild members – still partially drunk from the previous night – staggered onto the field pumping their fists and shouting their usual battle cry to have the crowd members yell back.

"In sixth position, a sexy guild who are as fierce as they are beautiful. Say hello to Mermaid Heel!"

Kagura lead out her team with the same stoic expression that usually adorned her features. Milliana was bounding around behind her, cheering and waving at her guilds loving fans.

"Don't underestimate us!" Risley yelled, winking at some male members of the audience.

"Yeah!" Milliana agreed. "We've all gotten so much stronger since the last games and we're here to win!"

Kagura could help but chuckle slightly at her friends' determination.

"In fifth place, the guild with the strength of a god, a god of Ishgal to be precise. It's Lamia Scale!"

Lyon lead the guild through the arch way and people in the audience screamed out to them in admiration. Chelia and Toby were waving frantically to members of the crowd as Jura and Yuka smiled in response.

"In fourth position, a guild with the eye of the tiger and the strength of a dragon. It's Sabertooth!"

Sabertooth entered the field in their usual calm and collected manor. Fans beamed with delight as the guild members glanced their way, cracking a smile every now and then. Sting could be heard cheering wildly in the audience along with the two Exceeds.

"It's a shame that Sting-kun isn't allowed to participate now that he's guild master," Lector sighed.

"Fro thinks so too!" Frosch responded, his attention completely on Rogue as the partners waved at each other.

"In third position, a guild who knows no bounds. They're here to reclaim their title as the strongest after a year of disbandment. It's Fairy Tail!"

The crowd was an uproar with cheer as the wizards entered the arena. Flags danced around the stadium; the guild emblem flying high for all to see. Girls cried out in the audience at the sight of the four muscular males in the team whereas men squealed at the sight of the adorably cute female wizard standing amongst them.

"Looks like the B team beat us again," Gray muttered, masking his annoyance as he smiled at their adoring fans.

"Who do you think the other team is then?" Natsu pondered, shoving Gray in the shoulder.

"In second position, a new comer to the games and a guild that banded together only quite recently. They may be new but they are not to be underestimated. It's Mystery Circle!"

"Mystery Circle?" many of the other guilds repeated.

Mariko and the rest of his team strolled on with the most satisfying smirks on their faces. Not only had they done enough to qualify, but they had beaten the ever popular Fairy Tail in the prelim round. To say they were proud of themselves would be an understatement.

"You think the other team made it through?" Maya turned to her teammates, making sure her voice went unheard by the other competing guilds.

"Well, we're about to find out," Gwydion mumbled.

"Don't fret over it kid," Izumi placed a hand on the young teen's shoulder. "We're only the B team, the other guys were picked for our A team for a reason, they'll get through."

Arata remained silent, staring intently at the other guilds, Fairy Tail in particular.

"And in first position," as Chapati spoke, lights flared and miniature fireworks were set off. "Oh my, this is unbelievable. Another team from an already competing guild has made it through. A strong band of wizards that aren't to be messed with. It's Mystery Circle A team!"

The Fairies' eyes bulged at the name. What happened to their team? At the same moment, they all glanced over at their guild booth to see Erza and the rest of the B team sat with the rest of the guild, solemn and guilt ridden looks covered their features. Mystery Circle A was lead out by Kuro who sent a sadistic grin towards the Fairies. Natsu took a step forward ready to retort but was quickly halted by Laxus, who just shook his head before taking another good look and their new opponents.

"Hiya Maya!" Lexine called over to the B team.

"Man, first place," Ron grinned, smugly. "Who would've thought?"

"Just because we came in first during the prelim doesn't mean it will stay that way. Remember we need to stay serious and put our all into the fights. Our opponents are not to be underestimated," Diodato reminded, a stern expression on his face.

"Hi, Lexi, hi Dio!" Maya called over from the other team.

The members of the A team all giggled in response, causing Diodato's face to turn a bright shade of red. "Sh-shut up!"

"Alright!" Chapati announced, grabbing the attention of everyone around. "Let us commence with the games!"

* * *

 ** _To be continued in chapter eight – Five Slayers_**

* * *

 **Character Profiles - Bloodford**

Name: Jarrod Betrand

Age: 33

Magic: Muscle Magic

Likes: Strength

Dislikes: One-sided fights

Description: Despite not even being the oldest member of Bloodford, Jarrod is seen as the old geezer type among his guild mates. He is by far the most stubborn of the bunch but he is also the strongest. Jarrod has been the only wizard of his guild to ever make it to SS-Class. He fought Natsu and Gray fifteen years ago but had to retreat when Makarov caught wind of his plans.

* * *

 **As usual I have no idea when this will be updated again. I'm really sorry guys but I've really fallen out of my writing habits this year. Don't worry though, it's the Summer Holiday's and I'm gonna try to write as much as I can. I probably won't write anymore for Mystery Circle, but I'm currently writing a lot of other stories that I plan to release soon... Remember that slavery fic I mentioned a while ago, well I've written about two and a half chapter for it (and then I re-wrote chapter one) so I may start posting that next week... Maybe, I can't promise anything.**

 **Just bare with me guys more stuff is coming eventually, I promise!**

 **The other day I went down to London to see Aladdin and it was AMAZING! The soundtrack is now what I listen to when I write and it really helps... except when I start singing along and lose my train of thought... Oopps!**

 **See you in the next one! ;)**


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